ROCK ISLAND ARSENAL. Illinois (May 30, 2023) — The last full week of May was a busy one for contracting professionals at Army Contracting Command-Rock Island, as they joined with other Army leaders and members of industry at the National Defense Industrial Association’s 14th Annual Midwest Government Contracting Symposium, held at the Vibrant Arena in Moline, Illinois, May 23-24.
A contingent of approximately 150 Army Contracting Command-Rock Island employees attended the event. ACC-RI leaders Lynda Armer, Executive Director, ACC-RI; John Cooper, Division Chief, Munitions Readiness Division; Amber Caulkins, Director, ACC-RI Power Projection & Base Readiness; and Justin Trine, Director, Strategic IT and Cyber, answered industry questions during a “Best Practices in Contracting” panel, May 23.
ACC-RI employees showed up in force during the duration of the symposium, making themselves available to engage with industry members, provide support at the ACC-RI booth, and to learn from the informational sessions being held throughout the day. Topics in those sessions ranged from contested logistics, cybersecurity, and modernization for munitions readiness, to the defense budget, preparing the Army for the future, and small business opportunities.
Small business was a main focus of the Army Sustainment Command and ACC-RI Industry Day, also held at the Vibrant Arena, May 25. Small business experts, including Kimberly Buehler, Director, Army Office of Small Business Programs, and Thaddeus Martin, Director, Army Materiel Command Office of Small Business Programs, provided updates on FY23 small business stats, as well as tips for small businesses looking to start doing business – or increase their business – with the Army.
Following the Small business presentations, Amanda Moeller, Division Chief, ACC-RI Contracting Operations Division, lead a question-and-answer session, drawing fruitful engagement between government and industry.
During the Industry Day, Lynda Armer, Executive Director, ACC-RI, and Matthew Sannito, Deputy to the Commanding General, ASC, provided opening remarks.
Armer’s remarks focused on how ACC-RI is working on enhancing the workforce’s ability to communicate with industry. She also thanked industry members for staying for the Industry Day, saying there hasn’t been much opportunity or face-to-face engagement since before the COVID pandemic.
She also said she was looking forward to ACC-RI staff engaging with industry one-on-one to discuss some of the issues industry is experiencing.
“We understand there have been supply chain and employment issues that you all have dealt within the past couple of years that you didn’t realize would happen when you proposed on our contracts and now you’re working within a very tight confines trying to make it work when the global economy has certainly changed and the availability of resources is not what it used to be,” said Armer. We would like to hear that information from you to help us move forward in best supporting our customer and their operational changes. We also want to make sure that you are able to continue in business and want to compete on future requirements that we have.”
From an ASC perspective, Sannito focused on three purposes for the Industry Day: building new relationships and enhancing current relationships; collaboration; and providing information on requirements over the next five years.
“You, as industry, are absolutely a partner in this endeavor to ensure we are providing the best capabilities and services to the warfighter … having these strong relationships and a strong foundation that allows for open honest feedback is absolutely critical in being able to see ourselves,” said Sannito.
He also discussed ASC’s insights on where the command is going in the future, which entails embracing and focusing on large scale combat operations.
Following the opening remarks and small business presentations, the large group format moved into breakout sessions aligned by ACC-RI’s three buying directorates – Power Projection & Base Readiness, Munitions Readiness, and Strategic IT and Cyber, so attendees could get specific information that aligns with their portfolio and engage with contracting teams.
The rest of the Industry Day offered time for individual meetings, as well as an Enhanced Army Global Logistics Enterprise meeting for basic ordering agreement holders.
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